Unbelievable: The highly dedicated player for the Sooners surprised the entire team by announcing with audacity that he intended to leave the team after receiving a sizable offer from…
Name it the “Effect of Jordy Bahl.”
This spring, a Nebraska softball team that hasn’t won a conference title in ten years feels like it has a chance to win a national championship.
A program that was unable to sell out its stadium even halfway through the previous season is scrambling to add seats but will still not be able to keep up with demand.
The highest-ranked Big Ten team is a program that hasn’t been in the preseason Top 25 since 2015. It is placed between Nos. 13 and 18 in all four major polls.
Coach Rhonda Revelle stated, “I know there’s a lot of excitement; that’s not lost on us.” You really can’t lie. It’s not like it’s invisible to us; we’re at practice, they’re building, and they’re attempting to fit more fans.”
More: Preseason power rankings for Big 12 softball: Oklahoma is the best team, but who will the Sooners face?
At a press conference held on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, at Bowlin Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska, softball player Jordy Bahl of Nebraska talks. Jordy Bahl, a pitching sensation, has added to the growing popularity of Nebraska softball. Her shocking announcement of her transfer to the Cornhuskers in June of last year came just a week after she had guided Oklahoma to its third consecutive national title and won the Most Outstanding Player award in the Women’s College World Series. (Omaha World-Herald/Nikos Frazier via AP)
All of the best players from the 36-22 squad that qualified for an NCAA regional for the second consecutive year return to the Cornhuskers. But there’s no denying that Bahl is to blame for their unexpected rise in popularity.
A week after leading Oklahoma to a third consecutive national championship and winning the Women’s College World Series MVP award, the two-time All-America pitcher stunned the college softball community last June by declaring she would be transferring to her home state university.
Bahl was born and raised in the Omaha suburb of Papillion. Before deciding on the dominant Sooners, he seriously considered attending the University of Nebraska after high school. She had an impressive record of 44-2, two national championships, Big 12 pitcher of the year, and first-team All-American every year.
She announced her decision to leave OU after two years, citing homesickness and a desire to help expand the sport in the state of Nebraska.
When asked how she manages being in the spotlight in Lincoln, Bahl flinched.
She remarked, “I don’t think I’ve ever looked at it that way.” “We just show up and go to work every day; that’s just the way it is. It’s just our team.”
Jordy Bahl of Nebraska tosses during softball practice on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, at Lincoln, Nebraska’s Bowlin Stadium. This spring, a Nebraska softball team that hasn’t won a conference title in ten years feels like it has a chance to win a national championship. Name it the “Effect of Jordy Bahl.” (Omaha World-Herald/Nikos Frazier via AP)
Contrary evidence is suggested by the evidence.
More than two thousand extra season tickets were requested for Nebraska in the days that followed her transfer. The Huskers promptly started plans to fill Bowlin Stadium to over 3,000 seats prior to the home opener on March 1. Last season, the stadium held 1,000 supporters every game on average.
“I think it’s exciting for us because it demonstrates how our game is developing, and it’s a great feeling to know that people in Nebraska are eager to watch softball,” Bahl stated. “And we’re all putting in a lot of effort to try to make it entertaining to watch.”
Bahl has had no trouble blending in. She was a club teammate of outstanding shortstop Billie Andrews and knows other players from summer ball. The roster also includes six other native Nebraskans.
Andrews remarked, “I think that just bleeds into who she is on the field. She’s a great person off the field.” And we are aware that Mom has our back as well as ours when we go play outside. She is a fantastic addition to our group.
The Huskers play Washington, which is ranked as high as No. 7, in their opening match of the tournament in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on Thursday. Bahl might face Ruby Meylan, an Omaha native and preseason second-team All-American, in the pitching showdown.
The Huskers host another nationally ranked team, Duke, on Friday. Later in the month, they play nonconference games against teams ranked in the top 25, including UCLA and Oregon, two teams that will join the Big Ten.
The Huskers are preparing for conference play and beyond with this schedule.
“Our goal,” Bahl remarked, “is to be the last team standing.”
